Delivering bad news is tough. It’s even harder when you don’t agree with the message or decision you’re communicating. Maybe you have to tell your star performer that HR turned down her request for a raise or to inform your team that the company doesn’t want them working from home any longer. Should you toe the line and act like you agree with the decision or new policy? Or should you break ranks and explain how upset you are too? What the Experts Say Prepare for the conversation Further Reading
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direct and avoid mixed messages Be thoughtful and caring but don’t sugar coat the news. That makes it more difficult for people to digest. Instead “laser-focus on the decision and explain why it’s the final call,” says Heathfield. “For example, if you need to explain to your team that the company has banned a particular software they’ve been using, you might say: We’ve made a decision. You may not use this software going forward. Our IT department determined that it’s a threat to our security system. Explain how the decision was made Heathfield and Margolis agree that sharing your viewpoint on the decision is not necessary, and can in fact cause harm. “Managers have a great deal of influence on employees. If they give them the ammunition of ‘not even my boss believes this is right’ it can spark a lot of chaos, turmoil, and unhappiness,” says Heathfield. However, Margolis says, if you feel you need to acknowledge your disappointment in order to maintain credibility with the individual or team, you might add something like: It’s not ideally where we wanted it to land but they followed these steps. If you disagreed with the process, be sure to share your misgivings with the higher-ups, but don’t do it with your people. “You won’t do anyone any favors by telling your team that you think the process was rigged,” Margolis explains. Instead, say: This is how we made the decision this time but we’re going to look into how these decisions are made going forward. Allow for venting, not debate Focus on the future Putting it all together Principles to Remember Do:
Don’t:
Case study #1: Explain the process and stand by the decision He walked the group through the logic of the decision and met one-on-one with members who were still unhappy with the decision, always keeping his personal opinion to himself. “I made it clear that there were pros and cons but there was no point in saying anything else as it would have demotivated the team,” he explains. “To be honest, as a manager, I sometimes have to take one for the people above me.” He also didn’t share some of the details he’d been privy to, like the concern about the company’s cash flow. He didn’t want to worry his employees, especially about something they had no control over. The team took it well. They were disappointed that they had spent so much time coming up with the recommendation, but Mark focused them on their other work. “At the end of the day, there were bigger issues to address,” he says. Case study #2: Focus on what you can do to help the person Soon, the CEO asked Jihad to fire the new hire. Jihad worried that Sulayman was being judged unfairly since he was an outsider challenging the company’s status quo and told the CEO that, in his opinion, this was an unjustified termination. But the CEO would not reverse his decision, so Jihad set about preparing for the conversation with Sulayman. “I gathered a list of recruitment managers and consultants I thought would help him, his wife, and kids,” he says. Then, although almost all of his previous communication with the man had been over the phone, he arranged a face-to-face meeting. He cut right to the chase. He said, “As per the labor law and the contract between you and the company, senior management has decided to terminate the employment contract with immediate effect.” Despite his repeated attempts to understand the reasons behind the firing, Jihad felt he couldn’t explain the rationale so he told Sulayman that he would be happy to set up a meeting with the CEO. Jihad offered his list of contacts, and closed the conversation by offering his help, saying, “Let me know if you need any other services from HR or from me personally. Here is my number.” Sulayman shed tears during the meeting but came away understanding that the decision was final. He did request the meeting with the CEO and Jihad succeeded in getting the two together, despite some initial resistance from the boss. Sulayman found another position soon after, and several months later, Jihad also left the company. They’ve both stayed in touch. What are the three aspects of bad news that impact how you approach delivering it explain each of the three aspects and their impact?Researchers have identified three aspects of the bad news that impact how you approach delivering it. Severity is how serious or detrimental the bad news is. Controlability is the degree to which the bad-news message receiver can alter the outcome. Likelihood relates to the probability of the bad event occurring.
What are the 3 types of bad news messages?Bad-news messages include rejections (in response to job applications, promotion requests, and the like), negative evaluations, and announcements of policy changes that don't benefit the reader.
What are the elements of a bad news message?A bad news message (or negative news message) delivers news that the audience does not want to hear, read, or receive.. Open with a buffer statement.. Explain the situation.. Break the bad news.. Redirect or provide alternatives.. End politely and forward-looking.. When delivering most bad news messages you should?Don't try to "sugarcoat" the truth; it's best to be forthright and honest about what's happened, and about what you're going to do to make it right. Remember that your attitude and the clarity of your message are two very important components in this conversation. Be open, clear, and honest.
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